Paper cutting and trimming machine and clamping and shock-absorbing mechanism therefor



March 7, 1933. E. M. BRACKET-r E-r AL A1,899,923

PAPER GUTTING AND TRIMMING MACHINE AND cLAMPING AND snocx ABsoRBING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed April 8, 1931 5`Sheets-Sheet l gf 159%), 47., 55. 0i @j K9 v l .`h\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\A\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\W MarCh 7, 1933- E. M. BRAcKr-:TT E-r AL 1,899,923

PAPER CUTTING AND TRIMMING MACHINE AND CLAMPING AND SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed April B, 1951 3 sheets-sheet 2 March 7, 1933. E M BRACKETT E-r AL 1,899,923

PAPER CUTTING AND TRIMMING MACHINE AND CLAMPING AND saocx AsoRING MECHANISM TNENEFOR Filed April 8, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 :PAPER CUTTING AND TRIMMING MACHINE .AND CLAMPING AND SHOCK-ABSORBINGv 'Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES: PATENT oFF-lor.

EDWARD M. BRACKETT AND DIETRICH DANEKE, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNORS T0 THE BRACKETT STRIPPIN G MACHINE COMPANY, 0F TOPEKA, KANSAS, A C0- PARTNERSHIP CONSISTING OF EDWARD M. BRACKETT AND FRED M. BRACKETT MECHANISM THEREFOR Application led April 8, 1931, Serial No. 528,591, and in Canada July 30, 1930.

This invention relates to paper cutting and trimming machines and clamping and shockabsorbing mechanism therefor, adapted to be used for cutting or trimming paper or other sheet material. 4 Y

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and efcient cutting and trimming machine having improved clamping and shock-absorbing mechanism.

A further important object ofthe invention is to provide, in a paper cutting or trimming machine having a knife and a movable clamp for clamping and holding material in position to be operated upon, suitable improved shock-absorbing mechanism adapted to receive and reduce to a minimum the shocks which in the absence of such improved shock-absorbing means would ordinarily accompany and result from the stopping and reversing of the direction of movement of the knife and clamp or either of said members in the operation of the machine.

A further important object of the invention is to provide, in a paper cutting or trimming machine having paper-supporting and positioning or feeding means, a knife and clamping means for holding material in position to be operated upon by the kn'fe, suitable improved, simple and efficient means for operating and for securing, locking and releasing the clamping mechanism, and improved shock-absorbing means connected with the clamp-operating mechanism for absorbing the shocks which would, in the absence of such shock-absorbing means accompany and result from the operations of the clamp and knife and particularly the stoping and starting of the movements of the mife and clamping mechanism.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from the following description and claims and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof.

The invention consists in the features, com-y This application in general relates to the same subject matter as Patent No. 1,805,128 of the above-named Edward M. Brackett and Dietrich Daneke, Serial No. 273,967, filed April 80, 1928, for improvements in paper cutting and trimming machines and gage and gage-stop, carrier, hold-down and safety mechanism therefor, to which reference is made herein.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in central vertical section of an improved paper cutting and trimming machine provided with clamping and shock-absorbing mechanism constructed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, showing the knife and clamping mechanism, with parts of the machine omitted Fig. 8 is a front view of the upper part of the machine shown in Figs. l and 2, showing the clamping and shock-absorbing mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view in front elevation partly in vertical section, of the improved shock-absorbing'mechanism on and movable upward and downward with -the clamp or clamp bar which is located adjacent to and operatively connected with the knife or knife bar, and movable into and out of clamping engagement with the paper to be operated upon.

In constructing an improved cutting and trimming machine provided with improved clamping and shock-absorbing mechanism in accordance with this invention, a main frame 1 is provided having a pair of upright knifesupporting and clamp supporting side frame members 2, 2 which project upward on opposite sides of a feed table or materialsupporting bed 3. Mounted in and in upwardly and downwardly movable relation to vertical guiding slots 4 in the upright side frame members 2, 2 is a knife-bar 5 and knife 6.

The knife-bar 5, to which the knife is fixed, is operatively connected with suitable power-driven knife-operating and clamp-operating mechanism. For example, in the form` crank-shaft of the device shown in the accompanying drawings,"a horizontal 'knife-operating is mounted in suitable bearings in the main frame and beneath the knife and the material-supporting feed table or bed 3. A spur gear wheel 9 is fixed to the crank shaft 7. A' counter shaft 'suitable form. For example, a spur gear wheel 12 is mounted -on and adapted to rotate with the counter-shaft 10; and a spur gear wheel or pinion 13 is mounted on and adapted to rotate with a power-driven shaft 14 and in toothed enga-gement withsaid gear wheel 12. The shaft 14 is journaled in suit- Aable bearings in the machine frame, and may be the motor shaft of an electric motor, or operatively connected with a motor or other suitable source of power'.

Suitable clutch mechanism which may be of any ordinary and Well known form, is provided for operatively connecting the crank-shaft 7 with its ldriving gear mechanism and source of power, and for disconnecting the same. F or example, a movable shouldered clutch member 16 is slidably mounted on and connected with the crank shaft 7 by the usual spline and slot connection and adapted to be moved lengthwise of the shaft into and out of clutching engagement with a mating clutch member 17. fixed to the gear 9 which is loosely mounted on said shaft. Any suitable clutch-actuating `and releasing mechanism of any or-dinaryl and well-known or suitable form .may beI employed. For example a clutch-actuating yoke lever 18 is mounted on a stationary support and adapted to engage a circumferential slot 19 between circumferential flanges or peripheral shoulders on said movable clutch member 16, said yoke lever being con- Inected with and adapted to be operated by any desired well-known form of clutch-actuating and releasing lever mechanism.

' The-knife-bar 5 is operatively connected with the crank-shaft 7 and driving mechanism by preference, as follows:

The knife-bar is provided with horizontal slots 15, 15 in its opposite ends; and at each end of the knife bar is mounted in sliding engagement with and between upright guid-y ing ways'f-ormed by the upright side-frame members 2, 2, an upwardly and downwardly movable knife-supporting sliding frame member or shoe 16 which is mounted and slidable upward and downward in said slots 4 i la shearing movement at an oblique angle with respect to the vertical movements of the knife-supporting shoes in their vertical guideways.

Each of the upwardly and downwardly movable knife-supporting shoes 16 is operatively connected with the adjacent horizontally slotted end portion 15 of the knife-bar 5 by means of a horizontal'pin 20 which extends through the corresponding slot 15 in the knife-bar and has its opposite ends anchored in the'upright web portions of said adjacent knife-supporting shoe. Each pin 2() is provided with an anti-friction roller 21 thereon which is located between and in engagement with the upper and lower horizontal margins of the horizontal slot 15 through which such pin and roller extend. rlhe shoes 16|are thus adapted to raise and lower the knife as said shoes are raised and lowered.

Each of said knife-supporting shoes 16 is operatively connected with the crank-shaft 7 by means of an upright pitman or connecting rod 22, the upper end of which is pivotally connected with the lower forked extremity of the corresponding shoe 16 by a connecting pin 23, the lower end of each connecting rod 22 being connected with the crank-shaft 7 by means of a crank arm 24 fixed to said crank-shaft 7 and having a horizontal wrist pin 25 on each crank arm and extending through a horizontally perforated headed bottom end portion of an adjacent corresponding connecting rod 22.

A paper-engaging clamping memberor plate 27 is mounted in front of and in parallel movable relation to the knife-supporting bar and knife, and is providedwith marginal portions or uprightguiding flanges 28 on its op osite vertical side margins, which are slidaldly mounted in suitable upright guiding grooves or ways 29 in the inner faces I of the adjacent stationary upright side frame members 2. (See Figs. 1, 2 and 3.)

This paper-engaging clamping member 27 is operatively connected with the knife bar 5 by suitable connecting means which, in the form shown in the drawings, comprises a horizontal stub-shaft 30 which is anchored in and in fixed relation to the knife bar'and projects forward and rearward beyond the knife bar. rl"he forward end of the stubshaft 30 extends through an inclined slot 31 in the upwardly and downwardly movable on said forward end of the stub-shaft 30 of said slot. And it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art thatthe upward movementof the knife bar will carry upward with it the clamping member 27 when the roller 32 on the stud or stud-shaftv 30 is in engagement with the upper end of the inclined slot 31 in said clamping member, and that said connection between the knife bar and said clamping member thus furnished `by the stub-shaft and inclined slot will permit the clamping member 27 to move downward with the knife bar and knife until said clamping memberengages the top of the paper to be operated upon and clamped or held in place beneath the knife. But, as soon as the downward movement of the clamping member 27 is stopped by the paper thus held in position by the clamp, the further downward movement of the knife bar and knife with the stub-shaft 30 movable in the inclined slots, will cause the knife to move end- Wise and downward at an incline corresponding to the inclination of the slot, so as to give the knife the shearing movement while in cutting engagement with the paper or material clamped or held in place by the clamping member 27.

' An upwardly and downwardly movable rotative clamp-supporting shaft 47 extends through suitable openings or bearings in upright bearing brackets or arms 48 which are fixed to and project upward from the upper edge of the clamp 27, and is provided at its opposite ends with pinions 49 which are in toothed engagement with adjacent stationary upright toothed racks 5() fixed to the inner margins of the corresponding stationary upright frame members 2 already described. This rotative shaft is thus adapted to support and move upwardly and downwardly with the clamp 27. The rack and pinion mechanism is thus adapted to cause the shaft to rotate in one direction during the downward movement of the shaft and the clamping mechanism supported thereby, and to rotate in an opposite direction during the upward movement of the same. It will thus be readily understood that by locking the shaft against rotation when the shaft and clamp have reached the limit of their downward movement, with the clamp in clamping vengagement with the paper, the clamp may be releasably secured or locked in such lowit would rotate in its upward movement, the clamp may be released.

Suitable means is provided for thus automatically locking and releasing the clampsupporting upwardly and downwardly movable shaft 47, and thereby automatically locking and releasing the clamp. And means is also provided for operatively connecting the clamp and clamp-operating and locking and releasing means with the knife bar or knife and knife-operating mechanism, all of which will be found fully illustrated and described in Patent N o. 1,743,420 issued to the applicants herein January 14, 1930, for Improvements in paper-cutting and trimming machines, therefor, and in the Patent No, 1,805,- 128 previously referred to.

Briefly described, the locking and releasing mechanism for automatically locking and releasing the clamp-supporting shaft 47 and clamp 27, and the means for operatively connecting the clamp and clamp-operating and releasing means with the knife bar or knife and knife-operating mechanism, is constructed as follows:

A fixed-outer clutch member or ratchet member 51 is mounted upon and in fixed relation to the horizontal upwardlyand downwardly movable clamp-supporting shaft 47. This outer-clutch member or ratchet member 51 is, by preference, annular and has a hub 52 which is fixed to the shaft 47, and an annular peripheral flange or rim 53 the inner wall of which -forms a circular track or race for a series of rollers 55, which are mounted in and adapted to travel circumferentially of and within the annular flanged portion or race thus formed.

An inner movable rocking clutch member Aor cani 5G is loosely mounted on the shaft.

and its annular peripherally shouldered cam or main lzody portion extends within the annular space inside of the annular flange 53 of the outer or. fixed clutch member 5l, and between the rollers 55 and the shaft, so that the peripheral cam faces on the annular inner cam member 56 are adapted to engage and release the rollers 55. An intermediate annular cage member 59 looselyy encircles the inner cam or clutch member 56 and has integral segmental sections'-59\vhich extend between the rollers 55 for holding them in properly spaced apart rotative relation to each other between the inner and outer clutch members 56 and 51. The. said intermediate annular roller-cage member 59 has a projecting peripheral shoulder or stop 6l which is adapted to engage a projecting stop 62 on the upper margin of the paper-engaging clamp member 27, for limiting the rotation of said cage member in one direction.

A ratchet lever or clutch-operating and releasing lever63 is loosely mounted on the shaft 47 adjacent to and in position to be rigidly secured to the end surface of the inner cam member 56, and the projecting arm portion of said lever 63 is forked so as to form a pair of integral forked lever arms 64 theouter ends of which are-connected with the upper ends of depending links 65 by means of pins 66, said links being operatively connected with the stubsshaft 30 on the knife bar by suitable connecting means which will be hereinafter briefly described, and said operating lever being conmcted with the intermediate roller-cage member 59 by sultable resilient connecting means (not shown).

, A clutch-operating or\ rat-chet-operating and releasing lever 71 is pivotally supported upon or connected with the papersengaging clamp 27 and is movable upward and downward with said clamp, but on the opposite or rear side of the knife bar and knife.

For this purpose, a rear depending bracket arm 72 is fixed to one of the upper bracket arms 48 011 the upper edge and at -or near one end of the clamp 27. The bracket thus formed by the bracket members 72 and 48 extends over the top of or straddles the knife bar-5, so as to support the elutchoperating lever 71 back of the knife bar, and upon and in pivotal relation to1 the lower extremity of said bracket member 72 to which the. lever 71, for operating and releasing the clutch or ratchet mechanism on the shaft 47, is piv otally attached by means of a pivot pin 72. (See Fig. 2.)

The pivoted clutch-operating or ratchetoperating and releasing lever 7l is in the form of a forked lever 'having an upperforked arm 74 and a lower forked arm 75, which are spaced apart and adapted to admit therebetween and to operatively engage an anti-friction roller 76 on the rear extremity of the stub-shaft 30 already described. on theopposite end of which the roller 32 is mounted as already described. said stub-shaft being anchored in the knife bar. l`he upper forked arm 74 ofthe forked lever 7l is connected with the forked lever arms 64 of the clutch or ratchet operating and releasing lever 63 by means of an upright connecting rod 77 which is pivotally connected at its loweil extremity with the outer swinging end of said upper lever arm74 by a pivot pin 78. And a cross-head 79, pivotally connected with the lower ends of and sup}.)orted by the depending links 65, already described, by projecting end bosses 8O on said head and which extend into suitable openings in the lower extremities of said links 65, supports a heavy compression spring 81 which encircles the upright rod 77 and is interposed between the upper face of said cross-head 79 and a washer 82 on the upper extremity of the connecting rod. The washer is held in position on the upright rod by means of one or more nuts 88. And the rod extends through al1-opening in the cross-head 79.

A yielding connection is thus formed be tween the upper forked arm 74 of the forked lever 71, and the forked arms 64 of the clutchoperating or ratchet-operating and releasing lever 63 on the rotative shaft 47 already described.

The lower forked arm 75 of the clutch or 4ratchet-operating or releasing member 71, located back of the knife., has an upper rollerengaging surface or margin 84 which is straight and extends from a roller-engaging shoulder 85 to the lower outer end of said lever arm. (See Fig, 2.) The downward movement of the knife-bar 5 and stub-shaft 30 with the anti-friction roller 76 froln the position in which said parts are shown in Fig. 2 or raised position, to lowered position, will thus cause the `roller 76 to engage the shoulder 85 on the lower forked arm 75 of `the forked lever 71 and move said arm 75 downward about its axis, formed by the pivot pin 73, into a lowered locking position in which the upper margin 84 of the forked arm 75 will be flush with the inclined inner bottom margin 86, or in the same inclined plane with said margin 86 of the inclined slot 31 in the paper-engaging clamp 27 on the front side of the knife bar. Frein the foregoing, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the shaft 47 is always free to `rotate in one direction during the downward movement of said shaft and the paper-engaging clamping member 27, and is releasably held or locked against rotation in an opposite direction during such downward movement and at the termination of said movement.

It should be noted that the downward pivotal movement of the forked lever 71 to its lowest clutch-engaging or locking position `shown i-n broken lines in Fig. 2 is accomplished and completed by and during the downward movement of the stub shaft 30 and its anti-friction roller 76 while in engagement with upwardly projecting shoulder 85 and while the clamping member 27 is in clamping engagement with the paper or material. The clutch on the shaft 47 is thus caused to engage and lock the shaft 47 and clamping member 27 against upward movement but leaves the said shaft and said clamping member free to move and be forced downward as the paper or material is further compressed. The upper straight face of the lower forked arm 75 Hush with the lower inclined marginal wall 35 of the inclined slot 31 when the shoulder 85 on said lever arm is reached and passed by the stub shaft 30, no further downward pivotal movement of said lever 71 will result from the continued downward movement of the stub shaft 30 with the knife during the cutting movement of the knife which follows the stoppin of the downward movement of the clamp 2 by the paper concurrently with the. passing of the shoulder 85 by the stub of lever 71 being shaft 30 thus locln'ng the clutch-controllers shaft 47 and the clamping member 27 against upward movement.

The upper marginal inclined wall of the inclined slot 31 engages the anti-friction roller on the stub shaft 30 during the movement of the latter in said slot and acts to hold the forked lever 41 in lowered clutch-engaging or clutch and clamp-locking position in dependently of any downward pressure on the knife or knife-operating means. The knife and knife-operating means are thus relieved from the exertion of any pressure to press or hold the clamp 27 down or in clamping engagement-with the material, and no power is expended for that purpose by the lmife-operating means during the actual cuttin of the paper.

uitable shock-absorbing mechanism is provided for minimizing the shocks which would otherwise occur when the stub-shaft 30 reaches the limit of its upward movement in the inclined slot. For this purpose a tripping and shock-absorbing forked lever 36 is pivotally mounted on the paper-engaging clamp member 27 by means of a pivot pin 37, and is provided with a lower lever arm 38 adapted to normally engage the lower side of the roller 32 on the stub-shaft 30 and to extend into the path of downward movement of the said roller and stub shaft when they are in their uppermost raised position at the upper extremity ofthe inclined slot 31. The said lever member 36 has an upper lever arm 39 which is normally located above or beyond the upper extremity of the path of movement of the stub-shaft 30 and roller 32 when said shaft and roller are in their uppermost raised position at the end of their upward movement.

In addition to the forked arms 38 and 39 the shock-absorbing lever 36 is by reference provided with a third lever-arm 8g which is provided with rack teeth 88 on the one end thereof adapted to engage similar teeth 89 on an upright reciprocating plunger 90 which is mounted in the vertical cylindrical bore or chamber 91 of a plunger cylinder 92, said cylinder being mounted on and in fixed relation to the paper-clamping bar 27 already described. (See Fig. 4.)

The reciprocating plunger 90 is provided with a depending piston stem 93 on the lower end of which is mounted a piston or pistonhead 94 which is slidably mounted in a lower liquid-containing piston chamber 95 having an end wall 96 which is provided with an axial `opening 97 through which the piston stem 93 extends. The bottom end of said liquid-containing piston chamber 95 is closed by a threaded cap 99; and said piston is firmly held in rigid engagement with said piston stem by means of a. threaded nut 100 mounted on said stem and in engagement with the bottom face of the said piston.

An auxiliary liquid-containing chamber 101 formed by preference by a closed casing 102 having a graduated glass window or gage 103 in its front wall, is mounted upon an upright wall 106 of the plunger cylinder 92. Said plunger cylinder 92 is provided with a. liquid supply or oil passage 104 which leads through the plunger cylinder at a point above the inner end wall 96 of the liquid-containing piston chamber and through an oil-supply opening 105 in the side wall 106 and into the upper extremity of said auxiliary liquidcontaining chamber 101. An upper restricted liquid passage or oil passage 107 and a lower somewhat larger restricted oil passage 108 both lead from the liquid-containing 1ston chamber 95 into the auxiliary cham er 101. Each of said restricted passages is provided with a curved tube or elbow 109 and 11`0 respectively mounted within said auxiliary liquid-containing chamber 101. Said upper restricted passage 107 communicates with the liquid-containing piston chamber 95 through the upright side wall of the latter at a point which is covered by the piston 94 when said piston reaches its u permost raised position; and the lower restricted passage 108 communicates with said pistonchamber 95 at a point in the side wall of said chamber which is passed and covered by said piston at or near the lower end of its path of movement, and a tapered V-shaped port 111 communicates with the inner extremity of said lower restricted passage 108 at a oint adjacent to and in posltion to be covere and uncovered by the piston 94 as it is moved downward to and upward from the bottom extremity of its path of movement within said liquid-containing chamber.

A compression spring 112 is interposed between a shoulder or plate 113 on the upper margin of the clamp 27 and the upper margin of the upper arm 39 of the shock-absorbing lever 36. Said spring encircles and is held in operative position by an upright bar 114, the lower end of which is seated in a recess 115 in the upper margin of said lever 36, the upper end of said spring-supporting bar being slidably mounted in an opening in said plate 113 to permit the movement of the bar and the expansion and contraction of the spring during the upward and downward movements of the shock-absorbing lever 36. The said spring 112 is thus adapted to hold the forked arms 38 and 39 of the shock-absorbing lever 36 in lowered position during the intervals in which the anti-friction roller 32 and stub-shaft 30 on the knife-bar are moved downward from and out of engagement with said forked lever-arms with each strike of the knife and until said roller and stub shaft are returned to their uppermost position between and in engagement with said forked lever arms. From the fore oing it will be readily understood that the hquid or oil contained in the upper portion of said piston chamber 95 between the piston 9 4 and the upper inner end wall 96 will permit and yieldingly resist the upward movement of said piston and of the lever arm 87 and the current downward movement of the forked lever arms 38 and 39 and of the stub shaft 30 and anti-friction roller 32 fixed to the knifebar as said parts are moved at the beginning of a downward movement of the knife and of the paper clamp 27 from the position in which said parts are shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

rlhe downward movement of the piston 94 from its uppermost' position to its lowermost position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 will obviously be permitted and yieldingly resisted by the liquid or oil contamed in the lower portion of said piston chamber 95 below said piston which is adapted to gradually force the oil from said lower portion of the iston chamber through said tapered or V-s aped port 111 and lower restricted liquid passage 108 into the auxiliary liquid-containing or oil containing chamber 101 until said port and restricted passages are closed by the piston at or near the end of its downward stroke. It follows as a matter of course that the upward movement ofthe knife 6 and knife-bar 5 and paper clamp 27 and of the stub shaft 30 and anti-friction roller 32 fixed to the knife-bar, will be permitted and yieldingly restricted at the up er extremity of each return movement of t e knife and pa-V per-clamping bar 27 to their raised initial or normal position in which they are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The shocks and strains to which the knife-bar and knife-operating and paper-clamping mechanism would otherwise be subjected are thus absorbed and reduced to a minimum.

ln order to readily understand the operation of the shock-absorbing mechanism it is only necessary to note that the power for operating the knife and paper-engaging clamp mechanism is transmitted to the clamping member 27 from the knife-bar 5 through the medium of the horizontal stub shaft or stud 3() which extends through the inclined slot in the clamping bar and engages both of the forked levers 71 and 36 located back of the knife and in front of the clamp-bar 27 re- 4 spectively, and that power is transmitted from the stub shaft or boss 30 to the inner cam member 56 of the clutch through the spring-pressed yoke arms 64 fixed to said cam member thereby causing the clutch rollers 55 to engage and releasably connect the inner shouldered cam member 56 and the outJ er flanged clutch member 51 which is xed to the shaft 47 journaled in bearings 48 on the paper-engaging clamp bar 27 on which the rocking shock-absorbing lever 36 is pivotally mounted, and the movements of which shockabsorbing lever are permitted and/ yieldingly resisted by the upright plunger aeeaeae with which the toothed arm of said shockabsorbing lever is connected.

We claim:

1. In a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife-supporting bar, the combination of knife-operating means, a mater1aleng-aging clamping member mounted adjacent to and in movable relation tozthe knife .and provided With an inclined slot in said ed to be operated thereby, and means for yieldingly resisting movement of the piston for yie dingly resisting and stopping the upward movement of sald clamping member.

2. In a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife-supporting bar, the combination of knife-operating means, a material engaging clamping bar mounted adjacent to and in movable relation to the knife, an inclined slot in said clamping bar, clamp-operating means comprising a projecting stud mounted on said knife-bar and extending into said inclined slot in said clam ing bar for moving the 'same into and out of c amping engagement with the material to be operated upon, locking means for locking said clamping bar in engagement with the material to be operated upon, and shock-absorbin means comprising a rocking lever mounte on said clamping bar and having a lever arm adapted to operatively engage said projecting stud on the knife-bar, a piston movable by the rocking lever, and means for yieldingly resisting and stopping movement of the piston for checking the upward movement of the clamping-*member relatively to said knife and knife-bar.

3. In a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife-bar, the combination of knife-operating means, a material-engaging clamping bar mounted adjacent to and in movable relation to the knife, clamp-operating means associated with theA knife and knife-operating means and in engagement with said clamping bar for moving the same linto and out of clamping engagement with the material to be operated upon, and shockabsorbing means comprising a rocking lever mounted on said clamping bar and adapted to engage said clamp-operating means for yieldingly resisting the movements of said knife and clamping bar relatively to each other, said shock-absorbing means including a reciprocating plunger operable by said rocking lever, a cylinder mounted on said clamping bar and provided with a chamber in which said plunger is mounted, and means located within said cylinder and in engagement with said plunger for yieldingly resisting the movements of the same Within said chamber.

4. in a cutting machine havingl a movable knife and knife-bar, the combination of knife-operating means, a material-engaging clamping bar mounted adjacent to and in movable relation to the knife, clamp-operating means associated with the knife and in engagement with said clamping bar for moving the same into and out of clamping engagement with the material to be operated -upon, and shock-absorbing means comprising a rocking lever mounted on said clamping bar and adapted to engage said clamp-operating means, and hydraulic means in operative engagement with said rocking lever for resisting and limiting the movements of the same for yieldingly resisting and stopping movement of the clamping bar in an upward direction.

5. ln a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife-bar, the combination vof knife-operating means, a material-engaging clamping bar mounted adjacent to and in movable relation to the knife, clamp-operating means associated with the knife and in engagement with said clamping bar for moving the same into and out of clamping engagement with the material to be operated upon, and shock-absorbing means comprising a rocking lever mounted on said clamping bar and adapted to be engaged and operated by said clamp-operating means, a check member operated by said lever in two directions, and means edecting movement of the check member for resisting and limiting the movements of the same in opposite directions alternately. y

6. in a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife-operating bar, the combination of knife-operating means, a materialengaging clamping bar mounted adjacent to and in movable relation to the knife, clampoperating means associated with the knife and in engagement with said clamping bar for moving the same into and out of clamping-engagement with the material to be operated upon, and chock-absorbing means comprising a rocking lever mounted on said clamping bar and adapted to engage saidl clamp-operating means for yieldingly resisting the upward movements of the clamping bar, said shock-absorbing means including a reciprocating plunger in engagement with said rocking lever, a cylinder mounted on said clamping bar and provided with a chamber in which said plunger is mounted andA means for introducing liquid into said chamber for yieldingly resisting the movements of said plunger in opposite ldirections alternately. l

7 In a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife-operating bar, the combination4 of knife-operating means, a materialengaging clamping bar mounted adjacent to and in movable relation to the knife, clampoperating means associated with the knife and knife-operating means and in engagement with said clamping bar for moving the same into and out of clamping-engagement with the material to be operated upon, and shock-absorbing means comprising a rocking lever mounted on said clamping bar and adapted to engage said clamp-operating means for yieldingly resisting the upward movements of said clamping bar relatively to said knife and knife-bar, a reciprocating plunger in engagement with said rocking lever, a piston on said plunger, a cylinder mountedI on said clamping bar and provided with a piston chamber in which said piston is reciprocatingly mounted, and means located within said piston chamber and in engagement with said piston for yieldingly resisting the movements of the piston and plunger relatively to said clamping bar.

8. ln a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife-bar, the combination of knife-operating means, a material-engaging -clamping bar mounted .adjacent to and in movable relation to the knife, clamp-operating means associated with the knife and knife-bar and in engagement with said clamping bar for moving the same into and out of clamping-engagement with the material to be operated upon, and shock-absorbing means comprising a rocking lever mounted on said clamping bar and having forked lever arms adapted to engage said clampoperating means for yieldingly resisting the movements of said clamping bar and knife relatively to each other, a reciprocating plunger in engagement with said rocking lever, a piston on said plunger, a cylinder mounted on said clamping bar and provided with a piston chamber in which said piston is mounted, and means Within said piston chamber and in engagement with said piston for yieldingly resisting the movements of the same.

9. In a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife-bar, the combination of knife-operating means, a material-engaging clamping bar mounted in movable relation to the knife, clamp operating means associated with the knife and in engagement with said bar for moving the same into and out of clamping engagement with the materialvto be operated upon, and shock-absorbing means comprising a rocking lever mounted on said clamping bar Yand having spaced arms adapted to be alternately engaged by said clamp-operating means, rack teeth on the rocking lever, a plunger having teeth engageable by the teeth on the rocking lever, and means associated with the plunger for yieldingly resisting movement of the rocking lever for resisting and limiting movement of the clamp-operating means when the clamping means engages the clamping bar.

10. In a cutting machine having a movable knife and knife bar, the combination of knife operating means, a material-engaging clampin bar mounted adjacent to and in movable re ation with the knife, clamp-operating means associated with the knife and knife operating means and in engagement with said clampin bar for moving the same into and out of c amping engagement with the material to be operated upon by the knife,.

and shock-absor ing means comprising a rocking lever mounted on said clamping bar and adapted to be movably engaged by said clamp operating means when the knife operating means begins its initial and ends its final movements, and hydraulically controlled means engaging said rocking lever for resisting and limiting movements of the rocking lever in opposite directions to check the initial and final movements of the clamping bar relatively to the knife.

Signed at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, this 4th day of April, 1931.

EDWARD M. BRACKETT. DIETRICH DANEKE.

aeaaeaa 

